Undertow
by ExOnEv
Summary: Slightly AU - CM/How To Be A Serial Killer - Reid has been dead for 2 years. Morgan is finally healing... but fate has decided to twist his mending heart once again. – Morgan/Bart, Morgan/Reid, Other interactions so far: Morgan/Garcia, Morgan/Hotch.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

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><p>Derek Morgan had stopped on a whim, thinking he could pass the time with a movie rental. He stared at the selection of DVDs on the shelves. He had no idea what he was in the mood for and he hadn't had the time to keep up on any new releases. His feet slowly moved him down the narrow isle as his eyes glanced at movie titles hoping one would grab his attention, maybe one he had forgotten he wanted to see. He didn't want to select anything that reminded him of work… but he didn't want to watch anything so lighthearted that it wasn't realistic. "Why am I here?" he mumbled, as he only got more frustrated with each step. Where was Garcia when he needed her? He let out a heavy sigh and looked back towards the front door. <em>I should just go home. <em>Maybe there was a game on instead. He rubbed his hand down his face and then headed toward the front door.

"You didn't find what you were looking for?"

Morgan stopped and glanced around for a person to go with the disembodied voice he'd heard. He saw absolutely no one. "Excuse me?" he called out as his eyes continued to search. Morgan thought it would be rude to not respond and just walk out.

"Were you looking for something in particular?" Finally, Morgan saw a guy behind the counter, along the far wall, standing up after having been crouched down for whatever reason. The guy had shoulder length light brown, wavy hair and he was wearing a red baseball cap, but his back was turned. He was dressed casual, in a blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans, not much taller than Morgan, and really skinny. Morgan continued to watch him as the man turned around and began typing into the computer at the counter. "Maybe I can help?"

When Morgan finally saw the young man's face, his lips parted as his stomach clenched at the weight of his suddenly unbearably heavy heart. This kid looked exactly like Reid. Impossible. Shallow breaths left Morgan's lungs as he fought off the instinct his body had to panic. Closing his mouth, he forced his tongue to move around, churning up some saliva, so he could swallow against his dry throat. He blinked against his wet eyes and loosened the crushing grip his fist had around his keys. Morgan slowly walked up to the counter to look this guy over. _Wake up…. Wake UP_, he told himself with each step. The closer he got, he could see this kid had a patchy, thin beard and a mustache… but he looked like Reid's identical twin. "No, I, uhh…"

The young man saw that Morgan was at a loss for words. "The selection here is insane. I've seen them all, though." He smiled at Morgan and nodded. "Tell me what you're in the mood for and I'll tell you what to rent. I have a memory like an elephant."

Morgan's eyes could have pierced the young man's soul. He couldn't stop staring at him. "What's your name?" Morgan had to ask.

"Bart."

Morgan's eye brows rose at the amusement of the kid's name. "Bart?" _His parents must have hated him_, he thought to himself.

"Bart."

"You, uhh…" Morgan had to spill. "You look _just_ like a friend of mine."

"Really?" Bart lit up.

"Yeah…" Morgan studied Bart's face. "The resemblance is uncanny."

"Do you have a picture?"

"Uhh, actually, I do." Morgan reached to his back pocket. Bart remained lit up like a puppy waiting to be thrown a toy to play with. Morgan quickly thumbed through his wallet and pulled out a worn photo. It was wrinkled with dog-eared edges. He'd had that photo for several years now and just then realized he hadn't dug it out for a couple of months. He handed the photo to Bart curious to see _his_ reaction.

"Ohhh... Yeah, I see what you mean," Bart squinted and nodded, completely engaged. He held the photo pretty close to his face to study it. "I feel like I'm looking at a picture of myself." The thought that Bart needed glasses crossed Morgan's mind as he watched him. Bart smiled wide as he continued to look at the photo.

"You even have the same smile." Morgan was completely blown away.

"Good lookin' guy," Bart said, jokingly. He let out a dork of a laugh, one that came from deep in his throat and even that reminded Morgan of Reid. He talked a bit different, but he sounded the same.

"He was, he was…" Morgan nodded and grinned back at Bart, a little reminiscent.

"Was?" The smile slowly faded from Bart's expression. He waited for Morgan to tell him what he meant.

"Yeah, he got killed a couple years ago." Morgan was relieved it didn't hurt so bad to say it out loud this time.

"Oh, wow…" Bart let a smile slip out, probably a little nervous to ask more questions. "That sucks. What happened?" Morgan had Bart's complete and absolute attention.

"Shot in the line of duty. He was an FBI agent."

"That's… That's terrible." Bart's eyes wandered off as he wondered exactly what happened, but he wasn't comfortable enough to ask about the details. "He's sounds like a great guy… putting his life on the line… to protect and serve and stuff."

_And stuff._ Morgan let a chuckle out. This guy was a little unkempt. He was a loner. An awkward kid. Morgan could see that in just a couple minutes, but there was something about him more than the obvious that was intriguing. "Yeah, he was definitely one of kind."

"Or was he?" Bart might as well have given Morgan a nudge and a wink with that comment.

Morgan grinned. Yeah, he liked this kid.

"Are you FBI too?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." Morgan flashed his weapon at Bart.

Bart's face lit up again, obviously impressed with Morgan's hardware. "That is so cool."

"Only on the days we get the bad guys."

"I've been taken hostage before. I got shot. It was pretty scary."

Morgan was surprised to hear that. He glanced Bart up and down. He was obviously okay. "Did they catch 'em?"

"Death Penalty," Bart whispered even though no one else was in the rental store.

Morgan's brow rose. He didn't know what to say not knowing what happened. He also didn't know this guy and felt that asking more questions about that would be crossing a line. It was none of his business and he had no interest in triggering any memories Bart would be uncomfortable with. "Oh… Well… At least you're okay."

Morgan felt like he was saying that _to_ Reid. This was really messing with his head. He felt like he was in and out of reality when he looked at Bart.

"Yeah, I'm alright. It was… something I'll never forget. I learned a lot about myself. Kinda figured out what's important, ya know… not to take life for granted."

Morgan nodded. Smart kid. "Those kinds of experiences will stay with us forever." His eyes fell to the floor as he remembered the day Reid got killed.

Morgan's sadness was easy to pick up on. "You and him-"

"Reid. His name was Spencer Reid." Morgan was still so proud and stood a little bit taller as he continured, "but we called him by his last name most of the time."

"You and _Reid_ must have been close?"

"Something like that," Morgan admitted as he tried to shake himself loose of remembering certain memories. His heart was _finally_ mending over losing Reid. Mentioning his name was one thing. Talking about him was another. Dredging up old feelings that were still very much alive and hadn't changed… Morgan knew it would crush him all over again. "He was my partner."

_Hmm…_ Bart bit on his lower lip and watched the potential customer/FBI agent carefully. "What's _your_ name?"

"Derek Morgan. You can call me Morgan."

"Morgan… Do you want to hang out? I'm about to close."

"Hang out?"

"Yeah, get a beer or something? There's a bar right around the corner." Bart could see Morgan weighing his decision. "You look like you… need a beer." Bart could see Morgan was pretty stressed or something, like he had a lot on his mind. Maybe he needed to do some venting or needed a stranger to talk to.

Morgan wanted to. He wanted to badly. But he knew he'd just be filling a void. Nice guy though. He rubbed the back up his neck as he took the photo back from Bart. "Ya know, maybe some other time. I gotta catch a flight out to Oklahoma in the morning for a case." He placed the photo back in his wallet, avoiding actually looking at it.

"Sure, sure…" Bart nodded. He was used to that. He might as well have seen it coming. No body as cool as this guy would want to hang out with him. Bart just told himself it wouldn't be a good idea anyway; he'd have to lie to Morgan at every turn.

Morgan cringed on the inside, struggling not to show it in his expression. He didn't like that rejected look in Bart's eyes, because _God damn it_, it reminded him of Reid… He needed to leave. "I'll see ya around." He patted the counter with his hand and then backed away, taking one last look at Reid's doppelganger. _Amazing._

Bart took a pencil into his hand and began to write down gibberish on a pad by the computer, just pretending to be busy or working. When Morgan finally walked out, Bart looked up and watched him walking back to his vehicle. Before Morgan opened the door to get inside, he looked back at Bart through the glass front of the building. They each held the other's gaze for a good five seconds before Morgan finally opened the Suburban's door, getting inside.

Morgan left the parking lot in a hurry. He felt it coming… He felt the last two months of not thinking about Reid at every other thought hit him all at once as if he'd had some sort of obligation to have been miserable all that time. He pulled over abruptly and slammed the vehicle into park, immediately rolling his window down. He couldn't stop the tears as they took their vengeance. His throat ached and his mouth watered as he cried. His arm pits began to sweat and his neck got hot.

He grabbed his phone and dialed Garcia's number. Thank God she answered. "Baby Girl, I need you to talk me down. I'm about to lose my shit." He breathed deeply as he pressed his head and back against the seat.

Garcia could tell Morgan was crying just by his frantic tone. "What's wrong? Give me a minute, I'm coming right over."

"I'm not home…" he told her.

She remained silent as if she was standing still, waiting for direction for what felt like the longest time. She couldn't stand to listen to Morgan's aching and do nothing. "Tell me what you need."

"Just tell me Reid's in a better place. I need to hear that he's okay and he's not better off here… with me, with us." His own words brought another suffocating rush of emotion and his shoulders shook as breaths were forced from his chest. He couldn't stop as he bawled into the phone.

Garcia's heart absolutely shattered. "Awe, honey. Where are you?"

"Somethin' crazy just happened and I thought I was okay, but…"

"Morgan, where are you? Don't make me GPS you!" She listened as Morgan sobbed into her ear. "Morgan, it's okay. Whatever happened, it's gonna be okay." Garcia felt so helpless not being right there with her best friend.

Morgan gathered himself enough to sniff, wipe his eyes and clear his throat. "I'm coming over. I'll be there in ten." He hung up the call before Garcia could even respond.

* * *

><p>Morgan sat quietly on the private jet back from Oklahoma. Another case, another unsub, a couple sleepless nights and bad diner food. The case was one of <em>the <em>most disgusting_ by far. _It kinda left his stomach queasier than the diner food had. He took another big gulp of his coffee, not willing to fall asleep again… not willing to dream of Reid again.

The cabin of the plane was low lit as it was a nighttime flight back to Virginia. Hotch sat across from Morgan and continued to study him as he had been the entire time in Oklahoma. "Morgan, you look exhausted."

Morgan looked at him, but didn't hear him. "What?"

"The circles under your eyes. You're exhausted."

"Can't sleep lately."

"And the coffee is helping with that?"

Morgan's shoulder shook as he let out a single laugh and tried to smile. "Don't lecture me, man," he joked at Hotch, looking half asleep.

"I give you ten minutes before it doesn't matter how much caffeine is in your system."

"You're on…" he mumbled, knowing Hotch was going to win.

A couple of long minutes passed until Morgan could actually feel Hotch's words penetrating his skin. His lids were suddenly so heavy he couldn't fight it any longer. He felt pressure focusing to a very sharp point… right behind his eyes… And just like that, he was out like a light.

It only felt like minutes later, but when Morgan opened his eyes again, it was daylight and Hotch was nudging him. "We're about to land."

The sun was out. Morgan closed his window blind and double checked his seat belt, closing his eyes again. His mind immediately started racing, started asking questions. _Why did Reid have to die? Why did Bart come into his life?_ –Those type of questions, the kind he didn't have an answer for.

Like many other times, he started to think about his and Reid's last private moment together… It was a moment of confirmation for one another, a moment each had been hoping for and dreading. Everything up to this point had been the occasional arm around the shoulder, the intermittent tearful bond, a warm smile, an overt expression of longing… until after so many years of this, they had developed feelings for each other that had never been mentioned or ever acted upon.

That was until one night when Morgan had to give Reid a ride home because his old car wouldn't start. Reid was very grateful and it was planned that Morgan would pick him up in the morning. Morgan couldn't remember who initiated the hug… and it should have been just a simple hug, but it became something more. It was a hug that lasted a little too long and was a little too close… hands lingered and faces touched. They let their lips graze, but then both men backed away, not quite ready to handle the spark. The way they looked at each other after that moment and what Morgan felt, is something he will never forget. Morgan tried to describe it to himself as he sat there on the plane and he couldn't do it. He'd never felt anything like it.

Two days later, Reid was dead…

After they landed and got back to the BAU, Hotch came directly to Morgan's desk. "After you finish your paperwork, why don't you go ahead and go home? It's Friday. Maybe you can get a head start on getting some rest this weekend."

Morgan only sighed. How could he tell Hotch the _last_ thing he wanted to do was sleep? It would only get Hotch concerned and then suddenly everything would be a big deal.

Hotch continued, "The bottom line, Morgan, is that when you're here, I need you to be focused. If you're not sleeping well… or at all… if you're distracted, you're not alert." Hotch left out the part where Morgan was potentially putting his team members' lives at risk.

Morgan nodded. "Alright," he thumbed through the small stack of files and papers on his desk. "I'll finish this up and head out."

Hotch nodded in approval and walked away, heading back to his office. Morgan rubbed his face and picked up his pen, letting out another heavy sigh.

Before he was about to leave, Morgan slipped into Garcia's office of magnificence. As soon as she heard someone open the door, she had turned around and melted when she saw it was her buddy. He smiled at her and opened his arms as she came to him, doing the same. "How are you?" she begged to know.

"I'm fine. How're you, Sexy Mama?" The grin on his face was a quiet one.

Garcia could tell his spirits were still down. She squeezed him tight. "I'm okay, now that you're back. Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Kevin is attempting ravioli."

Not quite separating from their hug yet, Morgan held his palm over the back of her hand as it rested on his chest. "You trust that boy in the kitchen?" he teased.

"I said 'attempting'. I will have fire extinguishers at the ready."

"For boiling water and sauce? Now see, somethin' tells me you know how this is gonna turn out." He laughed at his own joke and she waited for an answer. He got serious again and passed on the offer. "Rain check, Penelope. I really need to get some rest; practically an order from Hotch." She backed away a bit so she could read him. He looked away and down, intimidated by her all-knowing eyes.

"You'll call me if you run into any more problems?"

"You know I will," he pulled her in for another hug.

"My couch is always free."

"I know…" Morgan pulled away and then kissed her forehead, finally letting go of her hand that he had been holding, not even realizing it. "Thank you, Mama." He made his way to the door, but stopped after a few paces. "Hey, everything I told you the other night is between us, right?"

"To my grave."

Morgan kissed his index and middle fingers and then faced them to her before he closed the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

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><p>Bart tossed and turned, sweating and moaning in his sleep as he clutched so tightly to his bedding. He knew he was dreaming, but he couldn't gain control of the dream. Nothing bad was happening; he wasn't frightened. In fact, not much was happening that he could make sense of except a crazy whirlwind of images of people he didn't really know and the tone of these images swirling in his mind's eye left him breathless. He kept seeing Morgan's face and that picture of his partner, Reid. This was the fourth night in a row he'd dreamed this dream. After the dream woke him, he sat straight up in his twin bed and grabbed at the flesh on his chest, expecting his heart to flat line after feeling his entire upper half throbbing to its reckless rhythm.<p>

His dream was saturated with emotion and the impression that Morgan and Reid were more than friends and colleagues was a recurring realization, like he understood nothing else in the dream, _except that_. Morgan loved Reid. Like, _really_ _loved_ him. And probably vice versa, he guessed. Bart had felt that the other night watching Morgan, but hadn't put it together then. He breathed hard and swallowed as he sat there, trying to catch his breath. He closed his eyes tight, remembering the dream. "I know you can hear me… I know you can hear me…" Bart repeated over and over, as he tried to calm down. "What the hell?" He felt sweat dripping down his temples and wiped his hand at it. He looked over to his alarm clock and was surprised it wasn't later. It was only 10pm. He had only been asleep for two hours. "I don't get it." Groaning, he fell back onto the bed, knowing there was no way he'd be able to fall back asleep. Not anytime soon anyway.

The bar. He'd go out. Time to hustle. He wiped his forehead again just before he sat at the edge of his bed to put his shoes on. He hadn't bothered changing out of his clothes to sleep, so he was still dressed. In seconds, he was out the door and walking down the block. Three blocks down, he decided to check on the rental store. He just popped his head in and asked his employee if everything was okay and it was. He kept walking down the way to the bar.

Inside the bar, Bart found his favorite spot, off in the back corner. This is the one spot he could watch people and not be bothered by _said_ people. He never chose his victims from here since he was a regular, so he wasn't on the prowl, so to speak. He just sat quietly and drank his beer. And of course, that dream was still very fresh. As he sat there and thought about it, he could not figure out why he would dream all that and to be honest, it sorta creeped him out. He started peeling the label on the bottle, though not successfully. He had recently trimmed his fingernails. He thought back to the last random murder he had been the cause of and he actually started to smile because thinking about that brought back memories of Mike. He sure missed him. It hadn't been hard carrying on his legacy. Bart did have to admit, however, he wasn't as active as Mike had been.

He let his smile fade, not willing to reminisce for very long. Missing Mike had always put him in a funk that was hard to dig himself out of. He took another drink of his beer and had another glance around at all the faces in the room. A couple of girls over there, a man and his lady friend over there, guys surrounding the pool table… Nice people, just out relaxing, not knowing a killer was in their company. He kinda liked that the general population looked right passed him or that they, most of the time, didn't see him at all.

Bart took another drink and as he brought the bottle back down he nearly spat out his beer he saw Morgan across the room just taking a seat at the bar. His armpits immediately started sweating and how anxious he was caught him off guard. He pulled his stringy hair behind his ears and ran his hands down the top of the sides of his head. He swallowed and began to call for him, "Mor-" He pursed his lips and cleared his throat. "Hey, Morgan!" he called out. Morgan glanced over his shoulder, but must have just thought he was hearing things because he faced the bartender again. "Morgan!" He had cupped his hands around his mouth. This time, Morgan's head spun around and his eyes searched the busy room. Bart waved his hand at Morgan and finally… Morgan saw him.

Bart watched Morgan spin off the bar stool, beer in hand and slowly make his way over to where Bart was sitting. He stood as Morgan got closer. After nervously wiping his hands on his thighs, Bart reached his hand out to Morgan for a hand shake. _Reid used to do that._ Morgan looked at Bart's hand and then shook it as he made eye contact with Reid's look-a-like. "How you doin', _Bart_?" Morgan made emphasis on his name with a hard 't' sound. Bart smiled real big and if Morgan could say that he actually knew this man, he would say that Bart had just blushed.

"I'm good. I couldn't sleep, so I headed over here."

"You sound like me."

"Do you wanna sit down?" Bart offered.

With that, Morgan pulled out a chair and took a seat. He didn't want to beat himself up over it, but he knew why he chose this bar tonight. He was hoping he'd run into Bart again. Was that so wrong? Yes, of course it was. This was Bart. This wasn't Reid. This wasn't the man he had fallen in love with and watched die. This wasn't his best friend. This was some random kid plucked from coincidence who landed right into Morgan's path.

_Had to be._ But now what?

"How did that case in Oklahoma go?"

Morgan eased a bit and let out a laugh. He took a drink of his beer and shook his head, grinning. "Oh man, it was sick."

Bart smiled. "Like, sick '_cool'_ or-?"

"Nah, man, it was disgusting."

Bart wondered how gross Morgan was talking. "That bad?"

Morgan nodded. "Ever heard of necrophilia?"

Bart's eyes shot to the ceiling as he thought about it. "Uhh…" he cringed at Morgan, not willing to say the definition aloud. "Yeah…" he chuckled. "Yeah, that's pretty gross."

"I really don't wanna go into detail, but that shit made my stomach turn."

"You caught him, right?" Bart second guessed his assumption. "Her? Him? …Him, right?"

"Yeah, we sure did. Twenty-seven year old alpha male extraordinaire. He'd charm the ladies, get them back to his place and murder them. I'll let you fill in the blanks on what he did with them after that. Nine women lost their lives to that sick bastard."

Bart began to tally his victims in his head. "Serial…" he mumbled, lost in thought. "That- That guy… who abducted me… He was serial killer." Bart smiled and looked off like he was reminiscing.

Morgan noticed that Bart seemed to smile a lot and especially after saying something that shouldn't be followed with a smile. He wasn't sure if this kid was in a happy stupor all the time or if he had that personality type that throws out smiles at every turn for self-preservation. Morgan brought his chin up. "Ahh, that's why he got the death penalty." Morgan understood now, at least.

"Yeah," Bart said as he began picking at the label on his beer bottle again. "Yeah… Ya know, he wasn't a bad man…" Morgan's brow rose at that comment. "I mean… he was nice to me." Bart laughed. "Except for the whole shooting me thing."

Morgan's eyes were glued to Bart, very carefully observing him. "Bart, did you ever seek counseling after all that happened?" He was sure Bart was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.

Bart frog-faced and slowly shook his head. "No…" He paused and tilted his head and then made eye contact with Morgan. "It was offered, but I decided not to stick around. I needed a fresh start, so I left."

"From where?"

"California," he answered and then cleared his throat. There was a long pause before Bart started talking again. "That rental store is mine…" he told Morgan with a quiet smile. He was proud of himself.

"Congrats, Mr. Business Man…" Morgan touched the neck of his bottle against Bart's. The boy deserved some braggin' rights. They shared smiles and got quiet again.

"What do you do when you're not catching criminals?" Bart asked Morgan, actually pretty interested.

"Well," Morgan sucked the moisture from his last sip off of his lower lip. "I got properties I fix up. I like to work with my hands; fix things, rebuild them, remodel."

"Oh, really? Do you sell them or rent them out?"

"Depends on the economy. I like to make some money in the end, so it's hard to say until I know how much I've put into the place. It ain't about the money, though."

"Cool," Bart said. "I got a place a few blocks down. Just a studio," he looked away from Morgan like he wasn't good enough to be in his company suddenly. "It's- It's all I need."

"That's alright, Bart." Morgan didn't want Bart to feel inadequate for living simple or not having the same priorities. "What do ya do for fun?"

Bart almost chocked on his beer. He cleared his throat and coughed. After wiping his mouth, he spoke up, "Uhh… I work most of the time. Fun is… elusive." He definitely could not elaborate on his recreational activities to Morgan.

Morgan nodded. "I have that problem a lot of the time too." He turned the bottle on its bottom edge and spun it back and forth with his thumb and finger, listening to noise it made against the table. "Ha, you know, sometimes _fun_ is getting to sleep in."

Bart let out that throaty laugh of his. "Any significant others? Or _in_significant others?" Bart laughed again, a wind down, and waited for an answer from Morgan as he called over to the server for more beer.

Morgan looked at Bart pretty hard. He actually felt like he could tell Bart anything and it wouldn't leave Bart's lips, not that he would… but still. He repositioned his ass in the chair and took the last drink from the bottle still in his hand. "Nah, not right now."

"Me neither," Bart confessed. "I haven't had a girlfriend for…" his eyes darted down and to the right as he smirked… "a _long_ time."

Morgan grinned wide knowing he'd just received the short version. Bart had stories, but he wasn't telling any yet. The server stopped at their table, leaving two bottles of beer. Both boys opened their beverages and took that refreshing first drink. "Here's to bein' a bachelor." Morgan held up his bottle and Bart drank to that, clanking his bottle against Morgan's.

About half a minute passed without either of them starting up the conversation again.

"What are your other co-workers like?"

Morgan's brow popped up and he smiled. "Oh, man… Wouldn't they be shocked to see you?"

"You think so?" Bart lit up. He kinda dug looking like this Spencer Reid fella. It made him feel important.

"I don't think they'd know what to make o' that pretty boy face o' yours." Morgan smiled just before taking another drink, but then realized what he'd so naturally said and he couldn't believe those words just left his lips. He chided himself, feeling so absolutely out of line. "I'm sorry." Morgan shook his head. "I don't know why I said that."

Bart wasn't even sure how to react. Nothing like that had ever been said of him that he knew of. He almost smiled, but then didn't. "It's okay…" Then Bart let his grin out and continued, "But did I miss something?" He didn't understand why Morgan was upset with himself.

"What? No, not really. Pretty Boy was one of my nicknames for Reid." He watched Bart's eyes watch his lips as he spoke. "I didn't use it often, but…" Morgan was getting uncomfortable. "It was a term of endearment."

Since they were on the topic of Reid… "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure…" Morgan repositioned his rear again and leaned on his elbows to listen.

"I've been dreaming about you… and your friend, Reid."

"What?" _the fuck?_ Morgan forgot he was uncomfortable about saying what he'd said and now he was just _creeped out_. He gawked at Bart not knowing how to respond. "Uhh…"

"No, no, hear me out," Bart grinned and chuckled. "I know how weird it sounds."

"Reid and I?"

"Yeah, four nights in a row now. Tonight, even… earlier." He blew out a breath and looked down to his hands and beer as he began picking at the label on his new beer. Looking back up at Morgan, he asked, "Do you want to hear it?"

Was it strange to be curious about this? "Sure, I'll bite."

"Well, a lot of it doesn't make sense… to me… Picture me inside this, like, tornado of emotion. It's dark… and there's flashes of brightness… it's red and black and everything is swirling, right?" Morgan nodded, wearing a frown, listening hard to Bart. "It's just like back and forth and back and forth, love and longing and it's between you… and Reid…" Bart saw that Morgan sat up straight right then, but he didn't acknowledge that he noticed and kept going, "And, and, and I'm not scared, but I can't anchor myself and I'm just spiraling out of control, like I'm being pulled out to sea… or a current… or something… I can feel _everything _between the two of you. Pretty intense." Bart grinned not fazed at all by what he was implicating, but then his face got serious and his brow came together. "And at the last second, I get this sense of desperation from you and then this over pouring of affection and then this voice… It's wakes me up every time. And it's so loud. I swear it rings in my ears." Bart smiled, amused by his own radar telling him that he's nuts. "I sit straight up in bed and I'm sweating and I feel like I'm gonna have a heart attack…" His eyes met Morgan's again. "I wish it made sense. I mean, why would I dream about that stuff?"

Morgan was trying to keep his composure, but he could feel the tiniest of tremors in his hands. He could feel his fingertips lose their heat and he could also feel the sweat inside his palms began to evaporate. His breaths were shallow and tense. He swallowed and let his eyes fall to the table top and then he lowered his head just a bit. _Oh man, I can't do this…_

"It's not wrong is it? About you and your partner…?" His eyes squinted at Morgan, waiting for the answer to confirm everything that was felt in the reoccurring dream.

"I, uhh, I should go." He took one last drink of his beer and stood out of his chair.

Bart just watched him, concerned and knowing he must have crossed a line with Morgan. He watched Morgan drop some money on the table and turn around to leave. "I'm- Morgan. Wait, Morgan, I'm sorry." He stood up and was surprised that Morgan was already walking away. Bart stopped, really asking himself if he should follow or just let Morgan go, but his feet began moving again before he could make the decision on his own.

He pulled the heavy wooden door open and stood outside, looking left and then right. No Morgan. Then his eyes caught movement as Morgan crossed the street almost directly in front of him. The surrounding street lights lit up his shoulders and his shaven head as he walked over to the same SUV that Bart had seen the other night.

He wanted to go after him, but something told him to stay on the sidewalk. "That dream feels like a ghost," Bart called out from where he stood. He wasn't sure why he made that exact analogy, but he rolled with it. "It feels like it should be _your_ ghost," he continued. "_Your haunting_or something, nothing to do with _me_. _Why me_?" He yelled trying to get Morgan to turn around. He took several breaths as Morgan continued to walk away. The faint sounds of far off traffic could barely fill the silence as a nearby light turned green. "I know you can hear me!" he shouted.

Morgan stopped dead in his tracks just before he reached for the door handle. He immediately turned around and headed straight for Bart, not even looking for cars that might be on the roadway. Bart breathed hard as he watched Morgan head back to him, looking like a terminator. His strides were wide and deliberate and Bart was sure Morgan could knock him on his ass with one punch.

When Morgan reached Bart, he got right into Bart's face causing him to cower back without picking up his feet. He also had raised his arms, anticipating the need to defend himself. "What did you just say to me?"

Bart looked like he was going to cry. He didn't know what Morgan meant. He had said a lot of things. "Ghost, the dream feels li-"

"I know you can hear me," Morgan interrupted Bart by repeating the words back to him that he was talking about. "I know you can _hear me_." Morgan stared at the very confused young man. "Why did you say that?"

"I- I- I- don't know…" Bart's arms relaxed as he remembered the knife he had in his pocket. Even though he knew he would never win a physical fight with Morgan, he knew exactly where to stab him to render him incapable of retaliation and he knew he had the element of surprise in his favor. But he didn't want to even think about hurting Morgan.

"Why did you say that?" Morgan snarled into Bart's face.

Bart stammered and blinked as the dream came to mind again. Now some of this made some sense and as his brain was putting it together, but he hadn't spoken up yet.

"You know what? I don't know what kinda shit you're trying to pull, but _fuck you_, _Bart._" His finger poked Bart at the front of his shoulder. "Don't come 'round me again." Morgan turned to leave, more determined than ever.

Bart felt an overwhelming sensation roll through him as if someone with a gentle touch had smeared his image. His eyes rolled into the back of his head for a split second as an ever so slight dizziness swayed his body. All this only lasted for about two seconds. He blinked a few times, swallowed and then cleared his throat. _Don't let him go without telling him._ "The voice in my dream…" he blurted. Morgan stopped and turned an ear to listen to Bart. "That's what the voice in my dream says… right before I _always_ wake up."

Morgan turned around and stared at Bart. His face expressed pain, fear and amazement. His arms began to rise in frustration, but then his finger lazily pointed in Bart's direction, only to drop as he fought to breathe. He was holding back the tears and trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He was about to break.

Bart watched Morgan with wide eyes and could visibly see the changes in Morgan as he attempted to lasso his emotions. His next words were spoken gently and with caution, needing to let Morgan know this incident hadn't change anything for him. "I live four blocks down, number 2B. You're welcome to stop by any time." And with that, Bart put his hands into his pockets and slowly turned his body away, leaving. As he walked, he turned to look back at Morgan. The first time, Morgan was watching him walk away. The second time, he saw Morgan was standing in place with his hands clasped on his head, staring at the night sky. The third time he looked, he saw Morgan on his knees in the middle of the street, his shoulders shaking as he cried.

Bart stopped and rubbed his face, wondering what the fuck was happening. He stood in the shadows and watched for cars as he waited the several minutes it took Morgan to pick himself up off the street and get into his vehicle and leave.


	3. Chapter 3

*****Reid's death is explained in this chapter*****

**Chapter** **3**

* * *

><p>After a couple hours of sitting and waiting, there he was. From his side view mirror, Morgan saw Bart walking up the other side of the street, toward where he said he lived. He walked with his head down and his hands in his pockets, seemingly withdrawn and asocial. He continued waiting until he saw Bart turn the corner into a parking lot that must belong to the building he lived in, then eased himself from the SUV and crossed the street.<p>

For two weeks now, Morgan had been alone with his thoughts once again, nearly every wound reopened, seeping with memories and pain. He really couldn't stop thinking just how strange everything was and more than anything, he could no longer ignore how compelled he felt to see Bart again. From the first day he met Bart, he felt a connection. He tried to explain it off that it was because he looked just like Reid, but Morgan's gut told him there was more to it than that.

This whole situation was too much. He felt like it was something he was going to have to tackle head on and then _move_ _on_. Unfortunately, he also felt like telling Bart everything was going to be the only option, sensing none of this would rest until everything was out in the open. And now that the proverbial dust had settled, he thought now that maybe he could do that… talk to Bart and tell him about the day Reid died. Bart had left that chance open for Morgan.

It was almost 7:30PM on a Tuesday and the sun was just setting. He secured his weapon and devices on his belt as he walked. When he reached the sidewalk, he glanced over his shoulder, looking for cars and people. Then he took his sunglasses off and really began to observe his surroundings as he stepped into the small parking lot. The place was a little run down; Morgan figured private ownership. It was a very pale blue building, with dark blue trim. Morgan was far enough behind Bart that he was sure Bart had no idea he was there. Just as Bart had closed the door to his unit, Morgan began to climb the stairs to the second level.

When Morgan finally reached the door of 2B, he stood in place and glanced around again. Then he stared at the door knowing he'd thought about this over and over and still didn't know what he was going to say.

He knocked three times, still clenching his other hand into a fist as he held it by his side.

When Bart opened the door, his face gave him away. He was really surprised to see Morgan. And then just as Morgan had expected, he smiled. "Hiii…" Bart said with that smile that belonged to Reid. "You came." He was very soft spoken.

Morgan kept a straight face, almost glaring at Bart. "Hey, man." Again, he was confused on how to handle this. They almost fell into an awkward rut until Bart invited Morgan in. When Morgan stepped inside, he was surprised at how neat and tidy Bart's tiny place was. Everything was in its place. The twin bed was made, no dishes anywhere… not even any clothes were visible. He saw a TV and sound system off in the corner, obviously the most expensive piece of whatever in the place.

"How have you been? Do you want me to get you a drink? Water, milk, soda?" Bart's tone was taking Morgan off guard. He was genuine with his kindness and it made Morgan feel better, but he didn't like that. He didn't like that Bart had him so puzzled. He didn't want him around, but he couldn't help but be drawn to him. He didn't want to let Bart into his life.

"No… thanks. I'm fine."

Bart caught wind of Morgan's tension and he crossed his arms in front of his chest, tucking his shoulders inward just slightly. Morgan turned his head and closed his eyes, trying to appear as if he was looking at something. _Christ, everything this kid does reminds me of Reid._

"Is every… Are you okay?" Bart's eyes showed his concern.

"Yeah…" Morgan looked around trying to find a place to sit down, but all there was only Bart's bed and a small swivel rocking chair on the other side of the bed. "…but I need to talk to you." He look to Bart and asked, "Can I sit here?" He pointed at the bed and Bart nodded.

The neatly made bed was way too short for Bart and it was firm as hell. Morgan pictured all four of Bart's limbs hanging over the edges. Then he thought maybe Bart slept all curled up. He rubbed his head and wondered why the fuck his mind had to go _there_. He looked back to Bart and sighed, facing away again. A picture frame on his TV stand caught Morgan's attention. It was Bart and some young Japanese woman.

"That's Asami." Morgan's eyes moved back to Bart. "She was my last girlfriend. I've had a couple since I moved here, but she was really special. I really liked her."

"Was?"

"_Is_- She _is_. We're just not together anymore." Lie number one.

"Pretty name. She looks happy. Sorry it didn't work out."

"Me too… but it's okay. I think maybe if things…" he stopped and restarted, "She still needed to find herself." He laughed nervously. "Timing was off."

"How old are you, Bart?"

"I'm going to be thirty this year in June." He smiled at Morgan, still feeling nervous.

Morgan did the math. Bart was almost five years Reid's junior. He watched as Bart took a seat on the floor right in front of him, crossing one ankle over the other… like Reid would have. He pulled his hair behind his ears which made Morgan notice how stringy it was.

"Reid, I need to tell you something."

"Bart."

"What?"

"You just called me Reid."

"No… I-" Then Morgan's eyes widened and as he got the feeling that Bart was correct. He shook his head. "I'm sorry," Morgan clenched his jaw, so angry with himself. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, I understand." He took a breath and let it out in a quiet laugh. "I don't care…" He pursed his lips and looked away. "You can call me that if you want." As his eyes came back to Morgan, the look on Bart's face was intriguing. Morgan couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it almost seemed like Bart was actually offering this, not just saying it to make Morgan feel better.

Morgan's posture changed as every single muscle he had tensed up. For a split second, he had foolish, insane thoughts about using Bart to fulfill desires he'd been harboring for so long. He shook his head at the young man, but mostly at _himself_. "No, no…" his tone almost became a whisper. "That's not what I want, Bart…" Morgan hated to lie, but for him to have and feed a fantasy was one thing… but for Bart to slip into the same delusion with him would just be flat out reckless.

Morgan's body relaxed and he leaned his elbows against his knees. He and Bart had a longer than normal moment of looking at each other. His expression softened as he studied Bart's face. _God damn it, I miss Reid so much. _Morgan started feeling an urge that he didn't want to stop. He didn't know how Bart would react, but he let his hand slowly reach out to Bart's face. _I shouldn't be doing this,_ he told himself. Morgan just wanted to touch him. He wanted to know that he was real, _that this was real_ because when he looked at Bart, Morgan felt like he was dreaming. His hand only reached a short way before he pulled it back, fearful of the consequences. "The day Reid died was one of the scariest days of my life."

Bart had seen what Morgan was about to do, but didn't flinch or shy away. Instead he maintained unwavering eye contact. "Will you tell me about it?"

Morgan had to take in a deep breath. That's why he was here after all. He was gonna tell Bart everything and then leave. He would be done with it all and _never_ see Bart again. He could just tell Reid's story and everything would go back to normal. Simple.

His logic _felt_ flawless.

Morgan swallowed against the lump in his throat and leaned on his elbows again. Bart kept watching him, waiting patiently to hear the story. "Alright, well…" Morgan's chest heaved as his shoulders rose… "We were on a case in Kansas… Reid stayed back at the station and worked on a geological profile to help catch this gang of unsubs." He saw Bart's face change. "Unsubs… Unknown subjects, the bad guys we're trying to find." Bart nodded. "They had been terrorizing this county, multiple murders… they were kidnapping the children…"

Bart's brow came together as he questioned, "_Why?"_

"There's some evil people out there Bart." Morgan really didn't want to tell Bart the details as to _why_. "They weren't shy about what they were doing. They'd come during the day, during the evening, when families were getting ready in the mornings... They were so unpredictable." Morgan's frustration from the case was still with him.

Bart's Adam's apple bobbed down and then back up as the guilt of his own actions suddenly embarrassed him. He never wanted to be seen as evil, especially not to Morgan who he really admired. It wasn't why he did what he did.

"Thanks to the profiling we were able to achieve on this case, as soon as we hit town, with Reid's help, we were able to immediately pin point their comforts zones within this county. There were a few, but given that there were multiple unsubs, there were gonna be multiple comfort zones. These were local men, working together seamlessly as a team. They had targets and knew exactly when and where they wanted to strike to get these children."

Bart watched and listened, a little misty eyed. At first, when he started out with Mike, he was curious about children, but yeah… he knew now he could never hurt one.

"One of them messed up and ran a red light and got into a police chase with a patrol officer. He got hauled in." Bart smiled, happy to hear it. "In his possession, he had list." Bart's mouth dropped open. He was on the edge of his virtual seat. "This list had eight addresses on it. Five of them were crossed off. All of those crossed out addresses had been a target of these men."

Morgan got quiet. Bart knew the hard part was about to be told. He uncrossed his legs and pulled his knees into his chest and waited. …And waited. He decided to get up and quickly moved across to the small "kitchen" area, which was really just a counter top along the wall Morgan was facing. He filled up two glasses of water and came back with them, handing one off to Morgan. "There." Bart said, feeling better, like he had helped Morgan somehow.

"Thanks," Morgan said quietly and then took a few swallows and placed the glass on the carpet next to his feet. He wiped the corners of his mouth and then continued. "So, this guy… Reid had him in the interrogation room while we were out in the field." Morgan laughed a little bit and said, "He actually managed to get this guy to _roll over_ and he told Reid _everything_. And so Reid calls us and tells us that these guys were about to grab a kid from… Sycamore Street," he remembered, "and that this specific house was next in line. They were supposed to be casing the joint as we spoke. I kinda doubted they'd stick around knowing one of their group didn't show or had been caught by the police, but apparently none of that mattered. What mattered was getting their target, but now they had to improvise. They had a job to do and they needed to follow through, but it had to be these precise targets and they would just have to find a way to make it work."

"They were… They had a boss or something, huh?"

"Yes and we found that out later." Morgan was impressed with Bart. He was a good listener. "Reid told Hotch where to find these men, where'd they'd be according to the captured unsub's information. He'd be on his way to meet Hotch. This is when everything started going wrong."

Bart's eye brows rose in concern. "What happened? Did the guy lie?"

"They had changed _their_ location. They weren't where they were supposed to be," Morgan told Bart who nodded with wide eyes. "We secured the people in the house they were going to hit and began searching this neighborhood with all the men we had. We were going house to house, checking back yards, garages… looking for suspicious vehicles… We knew they'd be close, watching… We knew they'd stay put until the police were gone. Reid and Hotch came up on this nearby house that had no body living in it. Turned out these guys had broken in and were hiding out in there, not able to leave without bein' noticed. Reid and Hotch saw a van in the garage of this place and had a gut feeling… Hotch called for backup and that's when Prentiss, my partner and I came runnin'.

"Reid and Hotch searched this empty house and once they got to the last set of rooms, they heard these guys scrambling to get out and back to their van. They had been hiding in the attic. They were gonna make a run for it. Prentiss and I were _almost_ there. Hotch headed back, Reid was about to, but something must have got his attention. For whatever reason, one of these fuckers had doubled back on _them._ This guyreentered the house, out of a back door and then back in through an unlocked sliding glass door in one of those last bedrooms. From what the unsub later told us, Reid had his back turned and came to a stop. And once he heard that unsub cock his 9MM, Reid put his arms up. Hotch realized Reid wasn't behind him and he went back. He called out to Reid and Reid told him to stay back."

Bart's eyes were still wide, his face expression saturated in fear and curiosity. "What happened?" he repeated, although he was scared to hear it.

"Hotch told us Reid was in trouble over our communication gear," Morgan tapped his fingertip against his ear. "We were right in the middle of cuffing the other bad guys. I told Prentiss I would go and headed into the house. When I came up behind Hotch, he whispered to me that this guy had Reid on his knees with his hands on his head. He also said Reid's gun had been tossed into a corner. I begged to take a shot at this guy and as Hotch was telling me it was too risky, we heard a gunshot." Morgan's eyes immediately began to tear up and his breath got caught in his throat. Bart's eyes got wet at the sight of Morgan and he took Morgan's hand.

"I think I screamed and then Hotch and I were stumbling over each other trying to get inside that room… come hell or high water… And Reid was one the floor…" a tear dripped from Morgan's lower eyelid and landed on the back of Bart's hand. "I froze for a second… Hotch ran passed me and told me to stay with Reid and call for help. Then Reid suddenly… like, spasmed or something… and I was so relieved. I thought he was already dead. But then he started choking and coughing up blood. I called out for an ambulance and dropped to my knees and grabbed his hand." He looked Bart in the eyes, "He shot Reid right here," and Morgan grasped at the flesh underneath his arm where bullet proof vests don't protect. That bullet clipped everything it possibly could on the way through, including his lungs and heart.

"I kept saying his name and tellin' him to hold on. He was trying to talk and I told him not to, but then he said to me that he was sorry. I told him, 'You got nothin' to be sorry about,' and just kept begging him to stay with me, that help was on the way. I could hear him constantly trying to swallow, he was coughing and gurgling, his breaths were so shallow and fast… and his eyes… He was so scared." Morgan looked up, angry all over again and he kinda flung Bart's hand away. "I knew he wasn't going to make it… I remember looking behind me and seeing my team standing at the doorway, frightened as hell cuz they knew it too. When I looked back at Reid… he was gone.

"I didn't tell him what I really needed to say though. So I leaned down and put my lips to his ear. I told him that I _loved _him _so _much and that I couldn't let him leave without knowing that. I said to him, 'I know you can hear me, man, I know you can hear me.'" Morgan stared at Bart. "Don't you go without knowin' that."

Bart's jaw dropped and he scooted back to give himself some space. He turned his body and jumped to his feet. "No way!" he nearly shouted. "No way." He waited another couple of seconds. "No way, Morgan, that's what the voice in my dream says!" He was repeating a known fact, but it hit home now. "The voice is you!"

Morgan was at a loss for words. He didn't want to admit how this looked even though it was as obvious as the dead-ringer that stood in front of him. "Bart-" He stood up with his palm out, wanting Bart to calm down.

"Morgan, he's using me to tell you he heard you! He's been with you this whole time!"

Then it hit home for Morgan. "I don't wanna believe that." The emotional pain came clean through with his expression. He tucked his lips into his mouth, trying to halt the tears. Morgan really didn't buy into the supernatural, but the thought that Reid wasn't at rest and that he was somehow stuck between "dimensions" made him feel sick.

"That's it, though! At least, I think so. Or _something_… his energy maybe? How else do you explain all of this?"

"I'll admit that it's strange… It's strange as hell… but… I don't…" he stopped to mull his thoughts over. He looked Bart right in the eye as he stood. "Bart, that cannot be what's happening here, man."

Bart bit his lower lip and then smiled just ever so slightly. "The proof is right here. It's you and me."

"What?"

"Maybe he wanted to bring us together, like friends or partners or something. Maybe he couldn't reveal himself to you, so he's using me instead. Maybe you and I…" Bart stopped thinking out loud and Morgan watched his eyes shift as he worked through his thoughts.

"That's not it. That doesn't make sense."

"How else do we explain it?"

When Morgan settled his eyes on Bart again, all he could see was Reid. That damn look on Bart's face was one Reid had so often… when he was scared or unsure. "I don't know…" he admitted, unsure now of many things himself. _How do I walk away from this?_ There were too many unanswered questions now. "Are you still having that dream?"

"Yeah… It's a little different…"

"How so?"

Bart's eyes shot across the room to his picture of Asami and he bit his lower lip. "Let's just say…" Morgan eyed Bart and waited for him to spit it out. He looked back to Morgan and repeated himself. "Let's just say… it's calmer… but just as intense."

"What the hell does that mean? What are the dreams about now?"

"Embracing." Bart answered so quickly that Morgan almost missed it.

Morgan's left eye brow arched as his face slightly turned toward the right. "What?"

"You and… Reid are hugging… and..." he rubbed his fingertips through his hair above his ears and then he scratched his nose, trying to frown through an embarrassed smile. "It's, uhh… it feels like a very private moment."

Morgan's lungs almost collapsed as the deepest of breaths left his body. His eye brows turned in as his lips parted. He wanted to leave. He wanted to run the fuck out of there. He wanted to go someplace where no one knew him, somewhere he could hide… but he couldn't get his feet to move.

* * *

><p><em>I took some liberties with Bart. This fic is set in the future, so I wanted to assume he had some personal growth in that time and maybe a girlfriend or two. Hope that's okay! Sorry about the Reid dying thing. LOL<em>


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>Bart could see Morgan was absolutely stunned and chose to move another couple of steps in his direction with intentions of comforting him somehow, but Morgan held his hand up.<p>

"Don't."

Bart smiled nervously, understanding Morgan very much wanted his personal space right now. "I don't care, you know?" His eyes danced around as he looked at the wall behind Morgan. He tried to think of a non-threatening, non-invasive way to say he knew Morgan and Reid were more than friends. "It doesn't bother me…" He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. Morgan hadn't moved, not even to lower his hand. "I mean, I think… I think things were about to change for you two and I'm sorry that it didn't." Bart took a measureable pause before he continued. "Anyway, I don't mind. I think it would have been nice."

_This cannot be real, _Morgan thought. _Somebody wake me the fuck up or I am gonna get stuck inside this nightmare._

Morgan raised his eyes from the floor to look at Bart. He wondered how this young man was so intuitive and why he was so understanding. He wasn't freaked out by of any of this. Morgan turned on his FBI persona to help collect himself. His shoulders straightened, his feet firmed their footing and his brow came together as he continued to stare at Bart. "Who _are_ you? You and I didn't even know the other existed until almost three weeks ago so how in the _hell_ do you know so much about my personal life?"

Bart's eyebrows rose at the last question and he shrugged a little. "I don't know… I've been trying to pay attention and all I can say is that either I _feel it_ or thoughts come to mind and _I just know_." Morgan listened attentively as the young man spoke. "Ever since I met you," Bart smiled as he lowered his head, "things have been strange."

"Strange how?"

"The dreams, for one. Secondly, I just _feel_ different. And I can't even begin to explain _that _really. But _now_ I have random, like, memories that I'm pretty sure aren't actually mine. I have the urge to read things and learn things which, well, I was never that way, specifically. I get dizzy a lot and…" he looked upward and tried to think of other examples, "I, uhh, I don't really sleep much at all. I might be up for three days and not blink an eye. I only sleep now if my body gives me no other choice." Morgan was staring at him with his mouth agape. "I'm drinking coffee non-stop and all of a sudden I can't stomach dairy anymore!"

Morgan had the straightest face until laughter began to lilt its way from his mouth as he looked around Bart's place. "Okay, haha. I get it. Is there a camera in here or something? Nice joke."

"Joke?" Bart was genuinely confused.

Morgan stood still and sized Bart up with a hard, accusatory stare. "Okay, then, you musta been readin' up on my boy and now you're fuckin' with me."

Bart shook his head. "Morgan, I'm not 'fucking with you', I promise. I don't know what you-"

"C'mon, man… How stupid do you think I am? Do you really think this is funny?" Morgan cut him off with a sharp condescending tone.

"I swear to you, I'm not-"

"Just save it." Morgan rubbed at his head and then down his face. "I think we're done here." He stepped around Bart, intending to leave.

Bart raced thoughts around in his head, trying to think of something specific to ring Morgan's bell, but Morgan already had his hand on the doorknob. "He loves you too. So much," Bart blurted. "I can feel it. I-I-I can feel him. I know it's him now. I know- I know he's why I feel different."

"Just stop, Bart. I don't know what your game is here, but you're done. Just let the man rest in peace. Since he died, it's all I've ever wanted." And with that, he began to help himself out.

Bart stood in place, defeated. It was written all over his face. He felt he'd just let go of something he had promised to hold onto. He didn't know what else he could do to make Morgan _see_.

The young man took a very deep breath. _Okay, last resort._

"I need your help," he asked out loud. As he watched the door closing, his entire body instantly felt heavy and his vision blurred in a pulsing pattern that matched the throbbing of his heartbeat as it drummed in his ears.

He couldn't stop himself from falling.

Right as Morgan let go of the doorknob, he heard a hard thud from inside Bart's place. He immediately opened the door again to find Bart out cold on the kitchen floor. "Bart! Hey… Hey," he called as he bolted to Bart's side, landing on his knees. He checked for a pulse and found it right away. "Bart," he repeated. He checked Bart's air way which was clear and then tried reviving him with light taps to his face.

Suddenly Bart's eyes opened and his hand grabbed a hold of Morgan's wrist before Morgan could pull back his hand. "We can't save everyone," the young man said as he stared into Morgan's eyes.

Morgan stared back at him like he'd seen a ghost. For just a split second he was reminded of the guilt he'd been shouldering since his partner's death. "What?"

"You're gonna have to accept the fact that sometimes we can't save everyone."

Morgan gulped and searched Bart's eyes. That was something he'd told Reid, word for word, a very long time ago and that was a private conversation. "Say something else." _Prove this to me!_

Bart swallowed and tried to lift his head on his own, but he was still too dizzy and let it dropped to the floor as his hand simultaneously let go of Morgan's wrist. "Henry…" he mumbled.

He took Bart's head into his hands with urgency. "Something _else_."

Abruptly, Bart's hand grabbed onto Morgan's wrist again, squeezing it with what felt like supernatural strength; the two men still staring at each other. Morgan began to feel like he wasn't looking into Bart's eyes any longer. "Help me…" Bart whimpered, suddenly out of breath.

Morgan's eyes grew wide. He could see blood inside of Bart's mouth. Something deep inside told him to glance downward and he saw blood seeping through the young man's shirt at the left side of his body, from just under his arm, in the same area that Reid had taken a bullet. Bart coughed and blood sprayed from his mouth in a heavy mist and he winced in pain. "Reid?" Morgan couldn't stop himself from saying the name. "Reid?!" He could hear those gurgling noises again and his eyes began to water while every single emotion he'd ever felt over his friend and partner raced through his veins. "Dammit, Reid, say something! Is that you?" Morgan was shaking. The nerves just under his collar bone painfully pinged with anxiety. He felt a tear roll down his cheek only just then realizing that he was even crying. _Am I really seeing this?_

And just like that, all the blood disappeared. Bart's eyes had closed and his breathing calmed. Morgan backed up, but remained kneeled and in utter shock. "Reid?" he quietly asked, ready for him to be long gone again… dead and buried. His eyes welled up again as he stared at Bart and his fear of the emotional backlash of this moment immediately began taking root.

Bart's head swayed from side to side as he moaned. He brought his hands to his temples as if he'd been suffering a horrible migraine. "What happened?"

New tears fell as Morgan closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He was afraid to even breathe. _Did that really just happen? _"What do you remember, Bart?"

"Bart? Who's Bart?" Bart's eyes looked around as if he didn't recognize his surroundings. "Where are we? Why am I on the floor?"

Morgan gulped hard. He could feel his chest pounding. It was relentless and practically deafening. "Reid?"

"What? What's going on?" He started to get up and Morgan quickly moved to give him the space for him to use his long legs. He was able to stand up just a bit faster and took the hand of the young man to help him up.

"Reid… is that really you?" he had to ask again.

Reid didn't know whether to laugh at Morgan's absurd question or ignore him altogether. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

Morgan shook his head. "This is unreal…" he mumbled. "This isn't happening," he whispered so quietly to himself.

"What's unreal? Where are we? Why don't I remember anything?"

"You, uhh… You hit your head… pretty hard…" Morgan didn't really know what to say, but the expression on Reid's face was pushing him to make something up really fast. "We, uhh…" he realized he wasn't dressed for duty so it shouldn't be work related. "Bart is a, uhh… this is his… He lives here. We uhh… Uhm, what's the last thing you _do_ remember?"

"What is the _matter _with you?" he spoke over Morgan. When he heard Morgan's question, hard lines mapped out his brow. "I… don't know." He glanced down at his clothing and his wrist. "Where's my watch? Are we undercover or something?

_That's perfect._ "Yeah, undercover." Morgan couldn't believe he was going along with this. "Hey, do you feel okay?"

"Yeah, I feel fine, except my head's fuzzy. What happened? Why are you crying? What's going on?"

Morgan wiped his face dry and then he stepped toward Reid real slow. "Do you think maybe I could just…" his eyes were getting wet again, "give you a hug or something?" He didn't know how long this was going to last.

At first, Reid frog faced and shook his head a little bit, not really understanding, but then it seemed he remembered their last hug... He swallowed nervously and he smiled with his eyes. "Uhh, yeah… of course." He slowly stepped closer to Morgan and then opened his arms.

Morgan leaned in and gave Reid the tightest hug he could without suffocating the kid. After Reid hugged him back just as tightly he breathed in through his nose swearing he could smell Reid. He could smell his hair, his deodorant… he could smell everything that used to be 'Reid' on this body in his arms. "I've missed you," he mouthed as his caressed the back of Reid's head.

"What did you say?" Reid backed away so he could see Morgan's face. "Why do you look so sad?"

"It's nothin'," Morgan tried to smile as his eyes moved to the center of Reid's chest.

"I know when you're lying to me. You can't look me in the eye. Something isn't right. Tell me what's going on. And why can't I remember anything? I'm certain I've never been more confused in my entire life."

Morgan changed his mind a thousand times in the next second, but when his tears started to fall again, he knew he needed to tell Reid the truth; he couldn't keep lying. He quietly cleared his throat and wiped his face. Then he tried to steady his hands enough to rest them on Reid's shoulders. Finally, he looked the kid in the eye. "Reid, you're d—"

The second Morgan began to speak, Reid's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his body suddenly went limp. "No, no, no," Morgan could feel a vice crushing his heart, but he still rushed to catch Reid before he hit the ground.

As his body was gently placed on the floor, Reid loudly sucked in a huge breath, again out of breath for no reason that Morgan could see. The boy was sweating, pale and his entire face appeared gaunt. He literally looked like a ghost.

"Oh, my God," he forced out, gagging and coughing while trying to sit up. "What happened?!"

Morgan held his breath, trying his hardest not to break down. _Is this Bart again?_ Or could it still be…? "Reid?"

"No…" Bart shook his head as he damn near choked just trying to breathe. "Was he here?"

Morgan quickly stood up and began backing away. He had to sit down and he kept walking backwards until he reached Bart's bed. "Yeah…" he finally said with wide, blank eyes. "I mean I think so…" He blinked and shook his head and then buried his face in his hands. "I don't know…" He knew what he saw, he knew what he felt, but ghosts don't exist. _Possession cannot happen._

"He used my body didn't he? I told him to. I mean, I gave him permission or whatever. I swear I'm not lying to you. I really feel he's been with me since the night you and I met."

Morgan watched as Bart's color slowly came back. In just another minute, Bart didn't look physically effected at all. "I believe you believe that."

"Why don't _you_ believe it?"

Morgan laughed lazily in defeat. "Maybe I do... I don't know."

"For him to be with me now, he had to have been with you. Didn't you feel him?"

"No... I don't think so."

Bart stared at Morgan as they remained quiet for a moment. "So what now?" Bart asked.

"To be honest, I have no idea what to do now." He stood up and walked to Bart. "If what I saw is real, he doesn't know he's dead. I don't think he remembers anything about what happened. And he slipped away before I could tell him anything."

"Maybe I can call on him again, you know? Bring him back?" Bart actually wanted to help Morgan settle any unfinished business with Reid. "I've been reading up on ghosts and I've read it takes an enormous amount of energy to move an object or—"

"Bart," Morgan wanted him to stop talking.

"I'm just saying he needs to rest before I can try again. I can tell you that I'm not feeling so hot either. I feel like I got hit by a truck."

There was that stupid, handsome smile again. Morgan's eyes watched Bart's mouth until he forced himself to frown before he responded. "Let me think about it."

Bart felt like he'd upset Morgan. "Uhh, yeah. Okay, sure." He moved a little slower than usual to the counter top in the small kitchen to grab one of his business cards. "My knee hurts," he mumbled as he limped just a bit, favoring his left leg. "I don't have a cell phone right now, but my store's number is on here." He looked at Morgan with deep concern. "Call me? Or you know, leave a message so I know to call you back?"

Morgan didn't say a word about Bart's sore knee. And he didn't agree to call him either, but he took the kid's card.

"Oh! I almost forgot…" Bart reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.

Morgan watched, still a little dazed.

"That night… the uhh… the night we met… when you left, I wrote this down. I knew I was writing, but I wasn't meaning to write _anything_. I was just trying to look busy when you left. Does this mean anything to you because I have no idea, and I feel like it's important?"

Morgan continued to watch as Bart unfolded a creased and wrinkled small yellow piece of note pad paper. The writing was messy, but he could see what it said plain as day and he almost smiled. Then he began to reach for the piece of paper asking the young man, "Do you mind if I keep this?"

"No, no, of course not," Bart offered. "Who's 'baby girl' …if you don't mind me asking?"

"She's who I…" he cleared his throat, realizing he needed say more than just who she was, and restarted, "That night I met _you_… after I left, I ended up getting really upset and… and I had to call my friend. Her nickname is Baby Girl."

"See!? I'm not making this stuff up."

Morgan's eyes got just a little bit wet and he smiled out of both embarrassment for getting emotional and out of politeness. He was thankful that Bart was as level headed and considerate as he was. He still wasn't sure what to believe, but he felt better about it all now having seen that piece of paper. For him, if what was happening was _really_ happening, it was like Reid had tried to send him a message from beyond to seek solace in Garcia, which is exactly what he'd done. "I gotta go."

"Yeah, okay."

"I'll see you soon, Bart."

"Yeah, yeah… sure," Bart smiled and made the effort to beat Morgan to the door and then opened it for him. "See you soon."

* * *

><p><em><strong>I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I haven't been able to post much of anything over the last year. I'm down to only a couple hours a night for free time and it's just not enough to get things done! More to come here and more to come on my other works in process. I haven't forgotten about my readers or my stories and I really appreciate your support endlessly. I love you guys! Thanks for hanging with me!<strong>_


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